OMC Shift cable or gear issue??

I have 88 Doral Prestencia with 4.3 l OMC the engine starts and sounds ok but when I place it in to gear it does not engage. If I trim the engine up once the prop breaks the water line it goes into gear and I can lower the drive with no issue and drive away.... until I place it in reverse and it still powers it forward. Now having said that when in the reverse it does not go fast (forward).
any thoughts.
Thanks

 

It could be a cable problem. However, the cable problem may have caused damage to the clutch. The service manual has the adjustment and troubleshooting procedures, which is the best way to find the problem.

 

Welcome to the forum.

That Cobra drive had a recall on the shift cable. I can't remember the exact issue, except they never really did solve the problems with shifting. I've repaired plenty of these over the years and the biggest problem is debris getting into the shifting assembly area. It packs so full of sand/mud the assembly can't move. If has a washout orifice that's designed to blow out debris, but if clogged or not pumping well, it just plugs the cavity and the parts can't move.

These drives were so bad, they only made them for a few years, before replacing them with an updated model, which also wasn't in production long (about 4 years). Get the manual and go over the shift adjustment carefully. This might be all you need.